S. Sorola, TPWD

A fleeting glimpse of the Montezuma Quail

In the spring of 2005, sightings of the Montezuma quail were documented in the Chisos Mountains for the first time since a reintroduction attempt over thirty years ago. This was the first confirmed sighting in the park since a release in Pine Canyon in the early 1970’s. A Texas Parks and Wildlife biologist who has studied them in different parts of the U.S. was the first to sight a specimen within the park. Research is ongoing to learn more about the extent of this population.

Native to the Chisos Mountains, the Montezuma quail were extirpated from their mountain habitat in the 1930s.